Jaguar Academy Of Sport Launched By Living Legends Of British
Sport

LONDON - March 4, 2010: The Jaguar Academy of Sport was launched at a
ceremony in London today by Sir Ian Botham, Gareth Edwards CBE, Dame Kelly
Holmes DBE, Denise Lewis OBE, Sir Steve Redgrave and supported by David
Beckham OBE by video message. These legends of British sport are the
Patrons of the Jaguar Academy of Sport, which aims to recognise, celebrate
and inspire the very best of British sporting talent and success.

The Jaguar Academy will fulfill this aim through a Bursary Fund which
will support new British sporting talent, a prestigious annual Awards
Ceremony, a unique club of the best of British sport which will be used to
inspire the next generation and a vibrant website celebrating British
sporting talent and achievement. www.jaguaracademyofsport.co.uk

At the heart of the Jaguar Academy is a Bursary Fund that will support
the development of young British sporting talent. All sports will be
considered and the beneficiaries will be those who demonstrate the greatest
potential, real dedication to their sport and an outstanding desire to
succeed. The Jaguar Academy will work closely with charity SportsAid using
their proven process and expertise to ensure the very best talent is
identified and supported. The final decision on the successful athletes
nominated for a Bursary will be made by the Patrons of the Jaguar Academy
of Sport, some of the nation’s most successful sportsmen and women.
Over time it is hoped this fund will help to develop the next generation of
British sporting champions. The first beneficiaries of the Jaguar Academy
Bursary Fund will be announced in the next few months.

The Jaguar Academy will also feature a prestigious annual Awards
ceremony celebrating the best British sporting achievements of the year and
will also recognise rising stars from across British sport. Each winner
will receive a Trophy which was unveiled at the launch today. It is a
bespoke design created specifically for the Jaguar Academy by Jaguar Chief
Designer, Giles Taylor. In addition, the best performing Jaguar Academy
Bursary winners will be invited to the Awards, supporting the mission of
the Jaguar Academy to recognise, celebrate and inspire the next generation
of British sporting talent.

Day-to-day the Jaguar Academy will be represented by a news website, www.jaguaracademyofsport.co.uk
The site will showcase British sport and its greatest performers past &
present. It will commemorate our many successes and anticipate events and
tournaments where we expect our competitors to make the nation proud. It
will also leverage social media to engage visitors and encourage comment
and opinion.

The Patrons were joined in London at the launch by Jaguar Academy of
Sport Ambassadors, Jamie Baulch, Dave Brailsford CBE, Martin Brundle, Tasha
Danvers, Jessica Ennis, Mark Foster, Colin Jackson CBE and Michael Vaughan
OBE. The Patrons and Ambassadors represent a unique group of the best of
British sport that have represented our country with great distinction.
They will share their knowledge, experience and guidance to inspire the
next generation. For the full list of Patrons and Ambassadors see
footnote.

Geoff Cousins, Managing Director, Jaguar UK: “This is a
long term commitment by Jaguar to support British sport and contribute to
the creation of the next generation of British sporting talent. Over the
past few years Jaguar has been re-inventing itself to become the modern,
sporting company it used to be. With the launch of the flagship XJ
completing the transformation of the Jaguar brand, it is the perfect time
to develop an even closer relationship with British sport. It’s a
natural fit for us and with our sports cars and sports saloons, which are
all about the best of British.”

David Beckham, OBE: “I’m so proud to represent my
country, whether it’s on the football pitch, or helping with the 2012
Olympic or 2018 World Cup bids. The Jaguar Academy of Sport is all about
supporting the next generation of British talent. I’m delighted to
contribute to this initiative and, together with the other patrons, to make
sure sport in this country continues to thrive.”

Sir Ian Botham: “British sport has come a long way in the
last decade. Just look at the success we are now achieving in so many
different fields. However we can never be complacent and need to build on
this and drive higher standards and success. I am pleased to be part of the
Jaguar Academy of Sport and help contribute to its mission. This is a great
initiative.”

Gareth Edwards CBE: “I’m lucky enough to travel the
world as part of my continuing involvement in the sport of rugby. No matter
where I watch the home nation sides play, I am always amazed by the support
that they receive. No other nation follows its sports teams and individuals
as passionately as the British. I’m very proud of our sporting
nation, and as such am delighted to be a figurehead for the Jaguar Academy
of Sport.”

Dame Kelly Holmes DBE: “I am delighted to be part of this
initiative. Jaguar is a great British brand and its range of sports cars
and sports saloons are real world-beaters – which being a bit of a
speed girl is something I can relate to! Just as importantly the Jaguar
Academy is all about helping young people to reach their sporting potential
that is an area close to my heart. As such I intend to take an active role
in the Jaguar Academy of Sport Bursary Fund”

Denise Lewis, OBE:“I am proud to be a Patron of the Jaguar
Academy of Sport and use all the knowledge and experience I gained from my
success to help inspire the next generation of athletes. That’s what
the Academy is all about and it is good to see one of Britain’s most
famous brands and exports getting behind British sport.”

Sir Steve Redgrave:“I am proud to be a Patron of the Jaguar
Academy of Sport. I have had a long association with Jaguar dating back to
my Olympic medal successes and I am delighted that they are now stepping-up
their involvement in British sport and creating the Academy. Clearly the
most important aspect of this is going to be the support and inspiration we
can give to the next generation. The next few years are going to be a
halcyon period for British sport. I look forward to working with Jaguar and
my peers to make this into a lasting legacy.”

Geoff Cousins, Managing Director, Jaguar UK concluded:“We
are honoured to have support from our Patrons and Ambassadors who are true
living legends of British sport. They will work with us to help recognise,
inspire and support the next generation. British sport has come a long way
in recent times and we believe this should be recognised, celebrated and
used to help inspire the talent of the future. We are keen to make a
difference as soon as possible and will shortly announce the first
recipients of the Jaguar Academy Bursary. ”

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